Labour Research December 2004

Equality news

Council guilty of race discrimination

Wandsworth Council has been found guilty of race discrimination against a former employee.

Kelvin Warner, a member of public services union UNISON, was dismissed from his job as a housing benefits officer after being accused of assaulting colleagues.

UNISON helped him take his case to an employment tribunal, which found that his dismissal had been an act of racial discrimination and awarded him over £26,000 for loss of earnings and personal stress.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: "Wandsworth were guilty of a shocking injustice. UNISON is committed to rooting out racial discrimination in the workplace and I hope that the judgment today will make the council review their procedures and their attitudes."